478 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



he never saw so many Gannets breeding on (the Little Skillig 

 as this year. This would lead one to suspect that when driven 

 from the Bull by the blasting, they migrated to the Skilligs. 

 The reverse process has probably been going on for several 

 years. That the Gannets will completely desert the Bull in two 

 or three years I have little doubt. Some may establish them- 

 selves on the Cow, a mile distant. Michael Shea, of Dursey 

 Island, states that a few already breed there. We did not land 

 on the Cow, but passing close in the steamer no Gannets were 

 visible. The young speckled birds of a year old must keep away 

 from the breeding-stations, for at the Bull scarcely two Gannets 

 in a hundred were speckled, and at St. Kilda about the same 

 proportion. 



The birds breeding on the Bull Rock, in order of numbers, 

 are : — 



Eazorbill, .^/c« tor(f(f, Linn. ... ... 5000 



Gannet, Sula bassana, Linn. ... ... 2000 



Guillemot, Uria troile, Liun. ... 1000 



Einged Guillemot, Uria troile var. ... 20 



Puffin, Fratercula arctica, Linu. ... 500 



Kittiwake, Lnrus tridacti/luSjIjmu. ... 300 



Herriug Gull, Lams anjentutiis, Gm. 100 ? 



No nest of the last-named species was seen ; only the birds. 



Taking the same area of rock surface, more Razorbills breed 

 on the Bull than at any other locality I have visited (St. Kilda not 

 excepted). The Doon at St. Kilda, and the Tearaght Rock, one 

 of the Blasket group off Dingle in Kerry, are the greatest 

 breeding-places of the Puffin I have seen. The Great Skellig, 

 perhaps, comes next; then Tory Island, N.W. of Donegal. The 

 surface of the Bull is too rocky for the Puffin, which prefers to 

 burrow in soft turfy cliffs. From experience I can state that the 

 Puffin is excellent eating ; plucked, split in two, and roast, it is 

 quite equal to duck. 



Botanically speaking there is one point of interest about the 

 Bull, i.e., the occurrence of Lavatera arhorca, Linn., growing 

 luxuriantly on its summit. This plant is only admitted into the 

 Irish list of phanerogams as a doubtful native (' Cybele Hiber- 

 nica,' p. 54). I have also gathered it on Innishnabro, and on 

 the Tearaght Rock, but nowhere have I seen it more likely to be 

 indigenous than on the Bull Rock. 



